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In line with the Government of Canada’s commitment to provide the Canadian Armed Forces with the equipment and tools they need, Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan announced today that Airport Technologies of Southport, Man., was awarded a contract to deliver new runway snow clearing equipment.
The equipment will be used at six Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) main operating bases.
The contract is one of three recently awarded as part of the Snow and Ice Control Capability Recapitalization project. Together, the contracts will deliver new snowplows, snow blowers, runway sweepers, and aircraft de-icer trucks.
The project will replace equipment that is approximately 30 years old and reaching the end of its useful life.
The RCAF plays an important role in the defence and security of Canada. Its main operating bases across Canada provide air support to Canadian Armed Forces operations domestically and abroad, including search and rescue operations across Canada and transportation of personnel and equipment around the world. This equipment is essential for the RCAF to ensure safe and effective air operations 24/7 in Canada during winter conditions that can last up to six months or more a year.
The companies awarded the contracts to deliver new snow clearing and de-icing equipment are Global Ground Support, Olathe, Kansas for $8.1 million; Airport Technologies, Southport, Man., for $24.6 million; and Fresia s.p.a, Millesimo, Italy for $8.9 million.
The first of the equipment is expected to arrive at both 3 Wing Bagotville, Que., and 14 Wing Greenwood, N.S., in October 2020. Together the contracts will deliver 22 runway snow blowers, 27 runway snowplows, 28 towed runway sweepers (with a separate Request for Proposal for three more), and nine aircraft de-icer trucks with an option for three more. The new equipment will be delivered to 3 Wing Bagotville, 4 Wing Cold Lake, 8 Wing Trenton, 14 Wing Greenwood, 17 Wing Winnipeg and 19 Wing Comox.
